Board Game

ABSTRACT

A board game is presented that includes a game board or playing surface having an even plurality of precisely cut game piece sockets, each socket having a unique shape, and a plurality of game pieces, each game piece precisely engaging only one of the even plurality of game piece sockets. The game presents a contest for two or more players to be the first to fit all of their allocated, precisely cut pieces, each into their corresponding socket and then announce the name of the game, Pajaggle™. The board game may also be played individually against the clock to engage all of a pre-selected number of pieces in their respective sockets on a given board or playing surface.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from copending U.S. Provisional patentapplication 61/155,396 filed Feb. 25, 2009.

FIELD OF THE INVENTIONS

The inventions described below relate to the field of leisure amusementdevices and more specifically board games that may be played to providemultiple levels of difficulty simultaneously.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONS

Board games have been a common form of leisure amusement for many years.One of the difficulties of most board games is adjusting the level ofdifficulty for all players. For a family with two parents and twochildren, the challenge is keeping the game challenging for the parentswhile not overwhelming the children and causing unnecessary frustration.If you add grandma and or grandpa to the mix the problem of adjustingthe complexity to accommodate all players multiplies.

SUMMARY

A board game is disclosed that includes a game board having any suitablenumber of precisely cut game piece sockets, each socket having a uniqueand generally similar shape, and a plurality of game pieces, each gamepiece precisely engaging only one of the plurality of game piecesockets. The Pajaggle™ game pieces for a game set are generally complexand confusingly similar shapes. Each Pajaggle™ piece is a uniquelyshaped game element formed to engage only one correspondingly shapedsocket. The game may be played as a contest for two or more players tobe the first to fit all of their allocated, precisely cut pieces, eachinto their corresponding socket and then announce the name of the game,Pajaggle™. The board game may also be played individually against theclock to engage all or a pre-selected number of pieces in theirrespective sockets on a given board.

A board game as disclosed may include an even number of playing piecesthat is set depending on the size of the game board used. For most twoplayer games on an 12 in. by 12 in. board, there will be between 40 to80 (always an even number) “Pajaggle™” game pieces, each piece having adifferent yet generally similar, precisely cut shape and only one socketprecisely cut to engage each Pajaggle™ game piece. Any suitable numberof pieces may be used.

Alternatively, one or more game pieces may be double, triple or othermultiple piece. For example, a unique socket exists in a game board toengage a Pajaggle™ ring which is a game piece that has a socket cut intoit to engage a smaller unique piece. Alternatively, a Pajaggle™ ring mayhave a socket formed or cut into it to engage a unique second Pajaggle™ring which has a socket formed or cut into it to engage a uniquePajaggle™ piece.

The board game may be played by an individual against the clock or asingle board may accommodate up to 4 players. With two to four players,competitor's hands add a challenge by interfering with each other's viewand access to the board sockets.

In another alternative, game play for multiple players or tournamentplay may be accomplished over a communication network such as theInternet. Electronic play may also be accomplished for a single playeras an isolated application on a single computing device and may besimilar to game board play. Alternatively, online play may beaccomplished using any suitable two-dimensional or three dimensionalshapes such as cars, motorcycles or other compelling shapes.

In yet another alternate configuration, the playing surface for adynamic game board configuration may include a pre-selected or opennumber of Pajaggle™ plates. Each Pajaggle™ plate is a generally planarpolygon that may or may not include interlocking features and or asocket. To arrange Pajaggle™ plates for a game, the plates are arrangedabutting each other to form a continuous game surface. There may be manydifferent shapes of game surfaces formed depending on the number ofplates and the number of sides of each plate. The selection of thenumber of sides to the plates and the number of plates for a game mayalso permit or require that a game surface have one or morediscontinuities. Each Pajaggle™ plate contains a socket cut into andpossibly through the plate, the socket for engaging a single preciselycut Pajaggle™ piece. The socket in a plate may be oriented between thegeometric center of the plate and the perimeter of the plate. Thisoff-center orientation of the socket permits the plate to be oriented ina number of positions relative to the adjacent plates. The clockorientation of each plate combined with the ability to arrange theplacement of the plates within the playing surface produces a factorialnumber of game variations for a given number of Pajaggle™ plates.

In dynamic game play, arranging the playing surface prior to game playis an additional strategic element of the game.

In still another alternate configuration, the playing surface of adynamic locking game board for a Pajaggle™ game is composed of anysuitable number of generally hexagonal Pajaggle™ plates. Each side of aPajaggle™ plate for a dynamic locking game board include interlockingelements to engage the interlocking elements of an adjacent plate. Adynamic locking game board may be composed of plates having any suitablesize and formed of any suitable material from metal, wood, plastic andacrylic to polymer foam for very large outdoor game surfaces.

Using the dynamic game surface and or the dynamic locking game surface adynamic game may be played by separating the Pajaggle™ plates and thePajaggle™ pieces with each set of elements in an opaque container. Eachplayer selects a preset number of plates and pieces from each container.Each player arranges their pieces and plates in a holder to shield themfrom the other players sight until they are placed on the playingsurface. Then, in turn, each player may place one or more of theirplates, and or pieces into the corresponding plates, on the playingsurface. If no play is possible a player must take a piece or a plateuntil all the pieces and plates are in play. The first player to clearall pieces and plates from their holder wins. Play may be scored usingany suitable technique.

The fixed Pajaggle™ game board, the dynamic game surface and the dynamiclocking game surface may also be used as a chassis or framework whichmay incorporate other classic games such a checkers, chess, tic-tac-toeand others.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a game board with first piece shapes.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a game board with second piece shapes.

FIG. 3 is an electronic network configured for electronic Pajaggle™.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an electronic game board in a startingconfiguration.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an electronic game board in the endingconfiguration.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of rectangular Pajaggle™ plates for a dynamicplaying surface.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of hexagonal Pajaggle™ plates.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a game surface composed of hexagonal Pajaggle™plates.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a hexagonal, locking Pajaggle™ plate.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a game surface composed of dynamic lockingPajaggle™ plates.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Game board 10 of FIG. 1 includes a plurality of sockets such as sockets11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. For each socket there is a corresponding gamepiece that is precisely shaped to fit in only one socket. For example,game piece 14P corresponds only to socket 14 and game piece 13Pcorresponds to socket 13. Game piece 13P may be improperly placed intoany socket that will accommodate it, such as socket 16, and inaccordance with the rules cause a Pajiggle™. The generally similar shapeof the Pajaggle™ game pieces enhances the possibility of a Pajiggle™ aswell as establishing a consistent “look and feel” to each Pajaggle™game.

Double game piece or Pajaggle™ ring 14P is a game piece that alsoincludes a socket, socket 17 which in turn properly accommodates onlygame piece 17P.

Referring now to FIG. 2, alternative game board 20 includes a pluralityof flower shaped sockets such as sockets 22 and 25. As discussed above,each socket is sized to properly engage only one game piece such as gamepiece 22P which properly engages only socket 22.

To play a game between two players on a fixed board such as board 20,all the pieces for the selected board are evenly divided between theplayers. Alternatively, the game may be handicapped based upon the skilllevel of the opponents. The pieces may be divided based upon size or thenumber of pieces or a player may be given a time advantage. For example,an adult may hold in total more pieces and pieces which are smaller,while the opponent, a child, may have hold fewer pieces which are largerin size. However, no one player should hold both pieces of adouble-piece.

During game play, players place their pieces into the appropriatesockets in the game board as fast as possible. The first player to putall of his or her game pieces into the correct sockets first and say“Pajaggle™,” wins.

Each game piece fits specifically into only one socket, however, giventhe similarity in shapes, it's possible that a game piece may be placedinto an incorrect socket. For example a smaller game piece fits into aslightly large socket having a generally similar shape. The insertion ofa piece into an incorrect socket is referred to as a pajiggle™ and whenit is learned that a player has made a pajiggle™ game play stops. Thepajiggled piece is removed and the opponent can then penalize the playerwho made the pajiggle™ by transferring to him or her “x” number ofPajaggle™ game pieces and then play resumes. Alternate penalties may beassessed depending on the participants.

The game play is completed upon insertion by a player of all their gamepieces into the corresponding sockets. To restart, the game board isrotated clockwise or counter clockwise, 90 degrees for example, so thatthe orientation of all sockets relative to each player are changed.

In another alternative, the winner of a game may receive a predeterminednumber of points in addition to a predetermined number of pointscorresponding to the number of game pieces that the opponent was unableto insert into the game board before “Pajaggle™” was announced. In thisversion, the first player who reaches an agreed point total wins.

Socket and game piece shapes may adopt any suitable two dimensionalshape such as gears, flowers, leaves, footprints, fishes, birds, animalsor any other. Game boards and game pieces may be made of any suitablematerial or combinations of material.

A full game set includes pieces marked to enable an (official orsanctioned) evenly matched game to take place. For example, in a 60piece set, 30 pieces have a blue dot (or some other suitable mark orcolor) and 30 pieces have a red dot to enable an even, fair distributionof pieces. Alternatively, players may alternately select their ownpieces before a game until each player has half the available gamepieces.

If the pieces are marked or colored for an even distribution ofdifficulty, then handicapping may be accomplished by moving apredetermined number of pieces from one player to the other prior togame play. Handicapping may also be accomplished by rearranging larger,simpler pieces to one player and more complex pieces to the other playerwith both player holding the same number of pieces.

Alternatively, handicapping may be accomplished by adding or subtractingtime for timed games, by adding or subtracting pieces for head to headplay or for timed play, or by adjusting the distribution of piececomplexity for head to head or timed play.

Referring now to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, an electronic version of thePajaggle™ game may be played on any suitable computing device such ascomputers 26, 27, 28 or 29 and wireless devices 30 or 30A over anysuitable communication network such as the Internet or a telephonenetwork or network 31. The electronic version of the board game may alsobe implemented as a software application suitable to be played on anystandalone device with a touch screen or other suitable user interfacesuch as computer 32 with pointing device 32 p.

When a player of digital Pajaggle™ starts a game they may view anintroductory page such as page 33 and select a level of difficulty suchas Expert, Intermediate, or Beginner and or the set of Pajaggle piecesand sockets to be used and or any other suitable parameter may beselected. The selection of level of difficulty alters the amount of timea player has to recognize and successfully place a pending Pajaggle™piece on its corresponding socket as well as controls the similarity ofthe Pajaggle™ pieces and sockets. A player then starts game clock 34 onplay page 35 and score register 36 and a preset number of sockets arerevealed from a set of Pajaggle™ sockets. The number of sockets may beadjusted to correspond to the resolution of the display however 20sockets provides a suitable electronic game challenge.

In the first round, a single Pajaggle™ piece is revealed in window 37and the player has a preset time, 4 seconds for example, to find thesocket corresponding to the revealed Pajaggle™ piece. If successful, theplayer receives a predetermined first round number of points, forexample 5 points. If the player is unsuccessful in matching the revealedPajaggle™ piece to its corresponding socket, the revealed piecedisappears and is placed back in the piece queue. As pieces are placedin the piece queue, they may remain in relative order or they may berandomly rearranged. Play continues until all Pajaggle™ pieces have beenrevealed and either matched to their corresponding socket or returned tothe piece queue.

In the next round, a previously revealed and re-queued Pajaggle™ pieceis again revealed and the player has a preset time to find the socketcorresponding to the re-revealed Pajaggle™ piece. If successful atmatching the re-revealed piece to its unique socket in a subsequentround a player receives less points than in the prior round. If theplayer is unsuccessful at matching the re-revealed Pajaggle™ piece toits corresponding socket, the re-revealed piece again disappears and isplaced back in the piece queue.

In each subsequent round a player receives less points for matching arevealed Pajaggle™ piece to its corresponding socket than were possiblein the prior round. Play continues until all pieces are matched to theircorresponding sockets or the available points diminishes to zero. Totalscore 38, total time 38T are then displayed as well as an invitation 39to play again as illustrated on page 35F in FIG. 5.

Referring now to FIG. 6 the playing surface for a dynamic game boardconfiguration may include a pre-selected or open number of Pajaggle™plates such as plates 40. Each Pajaggle™ plate is a generally planarpolygon that may or may not include interlocking features and or asocket such as socket 41. To arrange Pajaggle™ plates for a game, theplates are arranged abutting each other such as plates 42A, 42B and 42Cto form a continuous game surface 43. There may be a many differentarrangements of game surfaces that may be formed depending on the numberof plates and the number of sides of each plate and how the plates arecombined together to form a dynamic playing surface. An arrangement of aplaying surface includes the number and orientation of Pajaggle™ platesrelative to each other and does not include the general shape of theentire playing surface.

The selection of the number of sides to the plates and the number ofplates for a game may also permit or require that a game surface haveone or more discontinuities. Each Pajaggle™ plate contains a socket suchas socket 44 cut into and possibly through the plate, the socket forengaging a single precisely cut Pajaggle™ piece such as piece 45. Thesocket in a plate may be oriented between the geometric center 46 of theplate and the perimeter of the plate 47. This off-center orientation ofthe socket permits the plate and thus the socket to be oriented in anumber of positions such as positions 41A, 41B or 41C relative toadjacent plates 42A, 42B and 42C. The rotational orientation of eachplate about its geometric center combined with the ability to arrangethe placement of the plates within the playing surface produces afactorial number of game variations for a given number of Pajaggle™plates.

Referring now to FIG. 7, Pajaggle™ plates may be formed to have anysuitable number of sides such as hexagonal plate 50. The number of sidesof each plate determines the number of possible rotational positions 52for socket 50S on the plate. A suitable game surface composed ofhexagonal plates is illustrated as game surface 53 in FIG. 8. Gamesurface 53 is formed of hexagonal plates such as plates 54, 55 and 56.

Referring now to FIG. 9, dynamic locking game plate 60 is a generallyplanar polygon with each side such as side 60A and side 60B includingone or more engagements elements such as locking tabs 60P and or lockingslot 60Q. Game plates such as dynamic locking game plate 60 may alsoinclude a socket such as socket 62. Alternatively one game plate for adynamic game playing surface may have unique marking or coloring on oneside and have no socket and may be used as the termination plate. Thetermination plate is kept separate from game plates and game pieces andwhen a player has played all his game pieces the player plays thetermination plate to win the game. The termination plate may also beused with the markings on one side to determine playing priority byflipping the plate and by agreement or by a call the resting position ofthe termination plate determines the playing priority or other detailneeding a random determination.

A representative arrangement of dynamic locking game plates such as gameplates 63, 64 and 65 to form playing surface 68 is illustrated in FIG.10. Each plate may include one or more sockets as discussed above.Dynamic locking game plates may be combined to form any suitable shapeplaying surface. Alternatively, a playing surface border such as border69 may be used to achieve a regular playing surface shape during dynamicgame play. A playing surface border may adopt any suitable shapedepending on the number and shape of game plates used.

While the preferred embodiments of the devices and methods have beendescribed in reference to the environment in which they were developed,they are merely illustrative of the principles of the inventions. Otherembodiments and configurations may be devised without departing from thespirit of the inventions and the scope of the appended claims.

1. A board game comprising: a game board having an even plurality ofprecisely cut game piece sockets, each socket having a unique andgenerally similar shape; a plurality of game pieces, each game pieceprecisely engaging only one of the even plurality of game piece sockets;and a set of game rules.
 2. A board game comprising: a playing surfaceformed from a plurality of generally planar, polygonal plates which maybe arranged together to form a plurality of different playing surfacearrangements and shapes, each generally planar, polygonal plateincluding a precisely cut game piece sockets, each socket having aunique shape; a plurality of game pieces, each game piece preciselyengaging only one of the even plurality of game piece sockets; and a setof game rules.
 3. A method of playing a board game comprising the stepsof: providing the players with; a set of generally planar, polygonalgame plates, each game plate having a unique socket; a set of gamepieces, each game piece corresponding to only one of the unique socketsof one plate of the set of game plates; an opaque container for the setof game plates and an opaque container for the set of game pieces; and aholder for each player to privately arrange and view selected pieces andplates prior to playing them; and a set of game rules comprising thesteps of game setup: determining a playing area; the players determinethe order of play; in order of play, each player reaches in each opaquecontainer and removes five plates and five pieces; each player arrangestheir five plates and five pieces in their respective holder; and theset of game rules further comprising the steps of game play: a firstplayer takes another game piece or game plate from the appropriateopaque container and places it in his holder and then places a gameplate from his holder in play in the predetermined play area and maycontinue if he holds the game piece corresponding to the in play gameplate, and may place all combinations of game plates and correspondinggame pieces during his turn and a turn ends when a player places a gameplate in play and is unable to play the corresponding game piece; asubsequent player takes another game piece or game plate from theappropriate opaque container and places it in his holder and then thesubsequent player may place a game piece into any open game plate thatis in play or may place a game plate in the play area, the subsequentplayer may also place any and all combinations of game plates andcorresponding game pieces during his turn; and game play continues inturn until a player runs out of game plates and game pieces.
 4. Themethod of game play wherein each game plate and game piece is assigned apoint value and the point value of un-played game plates and game piecesin players holders at the end of play are used to determine relativefinishing positions for the players.